December 3 in Military History — On This Day

Battle of Hohenlinden

While Napoleon fought at Marengo, General Moreau was methodically destroying the Austrian army in Germany. At Hohenlinden, fought in a snowstorm through dense Bavarian forest, Moreau executed a complex four-column encirclement that trapped Archduke John's Austrian army as it advanced along forest roads. The Austrian columns, separated by forest and snow, arrived at the battlefield piecemeal and were defeated in detail. Moreau captured 12,000 prisoners, 87 cannon, and 400 wagons in a single day. The road to Vienna was open; Austria signed the Treaty of Lunéville within two months.

Hohenlinden was arguably the decisive battle of the French Revolutionary Wars — the engagement that finally broke Austrian resistance and forced the comprehensive peace that ended the wars. It was also Moreau's crowning achievement, demonstrating a level of operational sophistication equal to Napoleon's. Their eventual rivalry — culminating in Moreau's exile in 1804 — was one of Napoleon's most personally motivated acts of political persecution.

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⚔️📍 Hohenlinden, Bavaria, Germany1800

Battle of Hohenlinden — France Defeats Austria Again

French General Moreau defeated an Austrian army in a snowstorm using a brilliant envelopment, cutting off and routing the Austrian forces. The battle ended Austrian military resistance in Germany.

Hohenlinden, combined with Marengo, forced Austria to sign the Treaty of Lunéville — leaving France dominant in Europe and setting up the Napoleonic system.

Outcome

French victory; Austria sues for peace; Treaty of Lunéville follows

Casualties

20,000